Shock-absorbing facemask attachment assembly

ABSTRACT

A facemask coupled to a sports helmut such that it will absorb a very high percentage of the impact energy from a ball or other oncoming force. The shock-absorbing facemask attachment assembly includes a housing attached to a helmet. An insert may be coupled to the facemask and the housing such that the insert is pushed further into the housing in response to an applied force. Alternatively, one or more springs may be coupled to the facemask and the housing such that the springs are compressed further toward the housing in response to an applied force. As another alternative, a spring assembly may include at least one spring coupled to the helmet and the housing and at least one spring coupled to the facemask and the housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an attachment assembly for mounting afacemask to a sports helmet in such a way that the facemask will absorband/or dissipate a very high percentage of impact energy from a ball orother oncoming force.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Helmets are used in a wide range of sports. Helmets generally serve thesame purpose in each sport, which is to protect the wearer's head frominjury by providing a buffer zone between the wearer's head and anoncoming ball, puck, club, or other moving object.

Helmets worn by umpires and catchers in baseball or softball, footballplayers, hockey players, and lacrosse players are well known andtypically include a shell having inner and outer surfaces and a paddingassembly connected to the inner surface of the shell. Many sport helmetsalso typically include corresponding facemasks mounted to the helmet.However, conventional facemask mountings provide little, if any, shockabsorption. More particularly, when a moving object strikes thefacemask, the force is typically transferred directly to the helmet withvery little buffering or dampening. The current design of catcher'shelmets, for example, transfers a very high percentage of impact energyfrom the ball directly to the wearer's head. This problem is alsopresent in umpire masks and other helmets that include facemasks.

Neither the design of conventional facemask mounts nor the materialsused in conventional facemask mounts provide much impact absorption. Itwould thus be desirable to provide a facemask that is mounted to ahelmet such that the facemask can absorb and/or dissipate an increasedpercentage of impact energy from an oncoming ball, puck, club, or othermoving object.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention presents a shock-absorbing facemask attachmentassembly that provides absorption and dissipation of a high percentageof impact energy from an oncoming object. This shock absorption anddissipation is achieved through a mounting configuration and/or mountingmaterials that allow the facemask to greatly increase the impactabsorption and to distribute a large amount of impact energy.

In one embodiment, the shock-absorbing facemask attachment assemblyincludes a housing attached to a helmet shell with an insert positionedin the housing, modeled after a hydraulic piston. The insert has a firstend coupled to a facemask and a second end disposed in the housing. Theinsert is adapted to extend the second end further into the housing inresponse to a force applied to the first end. At least a portion of theinsert may include an elastomer. Similarly, at least a portion of thehousing may include an elastomer. The housing may include a compressiblefluid or gel positioned between a distal surface of the second end ofthe insert and a bottom surface of the housing, such that the fluid orgel is compressed when a force is exerted on the facemask.

In another embodiment, the shock-absorbing facemask attachment assemblyincludes a housing attached to a helmet shell with a spring positionedin the housing. The spring has a first end coupled to a facemask and asecond end disposed in the housing. The spring is adapted to becompressed further toward the housing in response to a force applied tothe first end. One or more fasteners may be used to mount the spring tothe facemask and/or to the housing. One or more of the fasteners mayinclude nylon for greater flexibility. A compressible intermediatemember may be positioned within the spring.

A bar of the facemask may be coupled to the first end of the spring,with the bar substantially perpendicular to the spring. A cover may bepositioned over the portion of the facemask coupled to the first end ofthe spring. Additionally, a first bar of the facemask may be coupled tothe first end of the spring while a second bar may be coupled to thecover.

More than just one spring may be included in each mounting assembly. Forexample, at least two springs, or at least three springs, may be coupledto each housing and the facemask. When multiple springs are present in amounting assembly, the springs may be substantially parallel to oneanother.

In yet another embodiment, the shock-absorbing facemask attachmentassembly includes a spring assembly in which a first spring has a firstend coupled to a helmet shell and a second end coupled to a housing, anda second spring has a first end coupled to a facemask and a second endcoupled to the housing. A third spring may also have a first end coupledto the facemask and a second end coupled to the housing. The springs maybe substantially perpendicular to the helmet shell. Any or all of thesprings may be coupled to the helmet shell, housing, or facemask withone or more fasteners. Any of the fasteners may include nylon forenhanced flexibility.

Any of the facemask mounting assemblies described herein may be attachedto opposing sides of the helmet shell along opposite edges of a faceopening portion of the helmet. In certain embodiments, one or more ofthe mounting assemblies may be attached to each side of the helmetshell. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of the mountingassemblies may be attached to the helmet shell in a central region abovea face opening in the helmet. To highlight the shock-absorbing mechanismof the facemask attachment assembly, the housing and/or any coverportion may be transparent.

Any of the shock-absorbing facemask attachment assembly embodimentsdescribed herein may be applied to catcher's masks, umpire's masks,lacrosse helmets, football helmets, hockey helmets, and any other helmetthat includes a facemask. Regardless of the type of helmet,shock-absorption is greatly improved by using any of the mountingschemes in this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a helmet including a shock-absorbingfacemask attachment assembly in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a helmet showing the attachment of a facemaskto the helmet of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a helmet showing a force acting upon a facemaskattached to the helmet of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a shock-absorbing facemaskattachment assembly taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a shock-absorbing facemaskattachment assembly taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a shock-absorbing facemaskattachment assembly including a rigid insert in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a shock-absorbing facemaskattachment assembly including a rigid insert and a fluid-filledcompartment in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a shock-absorbing facemask attachment assemblyincluding a spring system in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an individual spring taken alongline 9-9 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a shock-absorbing facemask attachmentassembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a top view of a shock-absorbing facemask attachment assemblyin accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the shock-absorbing facemaskattachment assembly of FIG. 11 showing two of the three springs.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a leaf spring connecting a facemaskto a helmet.

FIG. 14 is a side view of a helmet having a shock-absorbing facemaskattachment assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 15 is a side view of a helmet having a shock-absorbing facemaskattachment assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a helmet having a shock-absorbing facemaskattachment assembly is indicated generally at 20. The helmet 20 of FIG.1 is configured as a catcher's helmet; however, the invention can alsobe applied to other types of helmets, such as, for example, an umpire'shelmet and/or mask, a lacrosse helmet, a football helmet, a hockeyhelmet, and practically any other type of helmet that includes afacemask. The helmet includes a shell 22, a padding assembly (or headsupport assembly) (not shown), and a facemask 24.

The shell 22 is a generally hemispherically-shaped head covering, whichforms a cranial cavity 26 configured to generally cover and protect theupper portion of a user's head. The shell 22 has a dome-like crown 28, agenerally continuous circumferential side wall 30, first and second earprotective regions 32 and 34, and a neck protective region 36 thatsurrounds a wearer's neck. Preferably, the crown 28, side wall 30, firstand second ear protective regions 32 and 34, and the neck protectiveregion 36 are integrally formed to one another. In alternative preferredembodiments, one or more of these shell 22 regions can be connectedtogether in a non-integral manner. Other types of helmets may differ interms of the shell configuration. For example, football helmets may notinclude the neck protective region 36.

The shell 22 is formed of a rigid, durable material, preferably,acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (“ABS”). In alternative preferredembodiments, the shell 22 can be formed of other materials, such as, forexample, a polycarbonate, plastic, aluminum, or other polymers. Oneexample of a commercially-available material having considerabledurability is Surlyn® produced by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company,1007 Market St. Wilmington, Del. 19898 (“DuPont”). The shell 22 isconfigured to protect the user's head by resisting, absorbing anddistributing impact loads, such as, for example, the impact from apitched ball, thereby reducing the load transferred to or felt by theuser due to an impact. The padding assembly (not shown) is coupled to aninner surface of the shell 22 and may include a plurality of supportmembers configured to dampen, reduce, absorb, and/or dissipate shockresulting from an impact of the helmet with an object, and reduce theshock transferred to, or felt by, the wearer due to an impact. Thepadding assembly can be formed of a lightweight, cushionable, resilientmaterial, such as a foam material formed of ethyl vinyl acetate (“EVAfoam”), or other open or closed cellular or non-cellular foam, a gel, afluid-filled bladder, a plurality of spherical balls, a plurality ofother geometric objects, or an air-filled bladder.

Referring to FIG. 2, the facemask 24 includes a plurality of generallyvertical and horizontal bars 38 fitted over a face opening 40 in thehelmet 20 and configured to protect a wearer's face without adverselyobstructing the wearer's vision or ability to breathe. Two or moreattachment assemblies 42 anchor the facemask 24 to the shell 22. Thebars 38 of the facemask 24 are made of a rigid material, such as, forexample, ABS, other high-density polymers, such as Surlyn®, aluminum,compo site fiber materials, and combinations thereof. The number, size,shape, and placement of the bars 38 may vary among differentembodiments, as the attachment assemblies 42 described herein areadaptable for use with a wide range of facemask 24 configurations. Forexample, the bars can be formed in other shapes, such as curved shapes,angled shapes, and combinations thereof. In other alternativeembodiments, the facemask may be formed of structures other than bars.For example, the facemask can be a one piece molded structure configuredto match the size of the face opening of the helmet.

FIG. 3 illustrates a force (F) acting upon the facemask 24. Theattachment assemblies 42 (or energy dissipation assemblies) incombination with the facemask 24 provide absorption and dissipation of ahigh percentage of impact energy from an oncoming object hitting thefacemask, thereby transferring less impact energy to the shell 22. Theattachment assemblies 42 serve as a form of a biasing assembly. Thefacemask 24 is susceptible to being hit from all angles. Consequently,the impact forces are often in directions other than straight back.Although the force (F) illustrated herein is representative of forcefrom an oncoming object, the attachment assemblies 42 described hereinare designed to absorb and dissipate energy from multiple directions.

A cross section of the attachment assembly 42 in FIG. 2 is illustratedin FIG. 4. The same attachment assembly 42 is illustrated in FIG. 5,showing the effects of the force (F) in FIG. 3 acting upon theattachment assembly 42. In this embodiment, the attachment assembly 42includes a housing 44 attached to the shell 22 of the helmet 20. A rigidinsert 46 includes a first end 48 coupled to the facemask 24 and asecond end 50 disposed in the housing 44. The rigid insert 46 is adaptedto extend the second end 50 further into the housing 44 in response to aforce (F) applied to the first end 48. FIG. 6 is a composite view ofanother embodiment of the present invention showing the displacement ofthe rigid insert 46 within the housing 44 in response to the force (F).

In one embodiment, the displacement of the rigid insert 46 within thehousing 44 is modeled after a hydraulic piston. For enhancedshock-absorption and energy dissipation, a resilient, compressiblecellular material, such as a foam, a resilient sponge-like material, acompressible fluid or a gel 52 may be present within the housing 44between a distal surface 51 of the second end 50 of the rigid insert 46and a bottom surface 54 of the housing 44, as shown in FIG. 7.

For enhanced shock-absorption of impact forces and dissipation of energyfrom various directions, at least a portion of the housing 44 mayinclude a durable, resilient material, such as an elastomer.Additionally or alternatively, at least a portion of the rigid insert 46may include an elastomer. Examples of suitable elastomers include, butare not limited to, Neoprene polychloroprene, available from DuPont, aswell as Lexan® EX L polycarbonate resin, available from GE Plastics, OnePlastics Ave., Pittsfield, Mass. 01201 (“GE Plastics”). Not only isLexan® EXL impact-modified and capable of providing improved flow andnotch sensitivity, this resin is also transparent. In certainembodiments, at least a portion of the housing 44 may be transparent,translucent, semi-transparent or semi-translucent, thus allowing aconsumer to view the shock-absorbing system. Other materials suitablefor inclusion in the attachment assembly 42 include Surlyn®, forexample. Still further, the insert 46 may be formed of a semi-rigid orgenerally rigid material. The insert 46 and housing 44 can be configuredto enable the insert to change positions within the housing in responseto an impact. Alternatively, one or more of the insert and housing canbe configured of shock absorbing material to allow for the absorptionand dissipation of impact energy with limited relative movement of theinsert with respect to the housing. In such an embodiment, theproperties of the materials serve to absorb or dissipate energy from animpact.

The helmet 20 may include at least one of the attachment assemblies 42on each side of the shell 22 along opposite edges of the face openingportion 40 of the helmet 20. As illustrated in FIG. 3, for example, thehelmet 20 may include at least four of the attachment assemblies 42,with at least two of the attachment assemblies 42 positioned on eachside of the shell 22 along opposite edges of the face opening 40 in thehelmet 20. Additionally, one or more of the attachment assemblies 42 maybe mounted to the shell 22 in a central region above the face opening 40in the helmet 20 or in other locations about the shell 22 includingabove or below the facemask 24. Overall, the facemask 24 may be mountedto the shell 22 using at least three attachment assemblies 42, and mayinclude as many as about ten attachment assemblies 42. One or more ofthe attachment assemblies 42 may be a conventional attachment assemblyknown to those skilled in the art, such as a conventional leaf springsystem, as illustrated in FIG. 13.

Another preferred embodiment of the attachment assembly 42 in accordancewith the invention is illustrated in FIG. 8. This type of attachmentassembly 42 includes a spring or biasing system. More particularly, thisattachment assembly 42 includes a housing 56 attached to the shell 22,with at least one spring 58 having a first end 60 coupled to thefacemask 24 and a second end 62 disposed in the housing 56. The at leastone spring 58 is adapted to be compressed further toward the housing 56in response to a force (F) applied to the first end 60. In certainembodiments, two or more springs 58 may be included in each attachmentassembly 42. When multiple springs 58 are present in an attachmentassembly 42, the springs 58 are suitably substantially parallel to oneanother. For example, the attachment assembly 42 in FIG. 8 includesthree springs 58 coupled to the facemask 24 and the housing 56, with thesprings 58 substantially parallel to one another. Additionally, the bar38 of the facemask 24 to which the first ends 60 of the springs 58 areattached is suitably perpendicular to the springs 58. In alternativeembodiments, the springs can be angled with respect to each other tofurther enhance the ability of the helmet to absorb or otherwisedissipate energy resulting from impacts with an object such as a ball inmultiple directions.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an individual spring 58 taken alongline 9-9 in FIG. 8. As shown, the first end 60 of the spring 58 may becoupled to the facemask 24 with a first screw 64 and the second end 62of the spring 58 may be coupled to the housing 56 with a second screw66. Alternatively, the springs or biasing members can be coupled to thefacemask or the housing using other types of conventional fasteners,such as, for example, rivets, snap-fit joints, etc. A resilientcompressible intermediate member 68, such as an elastomer, may or maynot be positioned within the spring 58 between the first screw 64 andthe second screw 66. One or both of the screws 64, 66 may comprisenylon, thereby allowing for additional sideways flexibility.

The attachment assembly 42 may also include a cover 70 over the portionof the facemask 24 coupled to the first end 60 of the spring or springs58, as shown in FIG. 8. This cover 70 may serve as a strike or shatterdevice to prevent damage to the underlying connection. Additionally, thecover 70 may enhance the aesthetic appeal of the helmet 20. The cover 70and/or the housing 56 may be transparent, translucent, semi-transparent,or semi-translucent. The cover 70 may also be used to assist in securingthe springs 58 to the facemask 24. For example, a first bar 38 a of thefacemask 24 may be coupled to the first end 60 of the springs 58 and asecond bar 38 b of the facemask 24 may be coupled to the cover 70.

FIG. 10 provides an exploded view of an attachment assembly 42 inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Theattachment assembly 42 is a spring or biasing system that includes thehousing 56 attached to the shell 22 of the helmet, a dampener 58, acover 74, a sleeve 68 and a rigid insert 72. The rigid insert 72 can bewelded or otherwise fixedly or removably secured to the facemask 24. Theinsert 72 extends through the sleeve 68 and the cover 74 and into thedampener 58. The sleeve 68 surrounds a portion of the insert 74 and istypically formed of a resilient material, such as, for example, aplastic or an elastomer. The sleeve 68 is positioned adjacent to, butpreferably does not extend into, the cover 74. The sleeve 68 maybecolored or may include a decorative pattern. The cover 74 surrounds thedampener 58 and extends into the housing 56. The cover 74 protects thedampener 58 from binding or otherwise engaging the sleeve or the innersurfaces housing 56. The dampener 58 is a resilient biasing member thatis configured to absorb and/or dissipate energy applied to the facemask24 and the insert 72 from an impact.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the attachment assembly 42 inaccordance with the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. Thistype of attachment assembly 42 also includes a spring or biasing system.More particularly, this attachment assembly 42 includes a first spring76 having a first end 78 coupled to the shell 22 and a second end 80coupled to a housing 82, and a second spring 84 having a first end 86coupled to the facemask 24 and a second end 88 coupled to the housing82. As shown in FIG. 11, a third spring 90 may also have a first endcoupled to the facemask 24 and a second end coupled to the housing 82.The springs 76, 84, 90 may each be substantially perpendicular to thesurface of the shell 22 at which they are attached.

As in previous embodiments including spring assemblies, screws may beused to fasten the springs 76, 84, 90 to the other components of theattachment assembly 42. Alternatively, other conventional fasteners canalso be used. More particularly, the first end 78 of the first spring 76may be coupled to the shell 22 with a first screw 92 and the second end80 of the first spring 76 may be coupled to the housing 82 with a secondscrew 94. Additionally, the first end 86 of the second spring 84 may becoupled to the facemask 24 with a third screw 96 and the second end 88of the second spring 84 may be coupled to the housing 82 with a fourthscrew 98. The third spring 90 may be attached to the facemask 24 and thehousing 82 in the same manner as the second spring 84. Any of the screws92, 94, 96, 98 may include a dampening element such as nylon forenhanced flexibility, or an elastomeric ring or washer. Additionally,each screw can be a screw assembly of two or more screws or replacedwith other forms of conventional fasteners.

As shown in FIG. 12, the force (F) from an oncoming object hitting thefacemask 24 acts on the attachment assembly 42 in a directionperpendicular to the springs 76, 84. Due to the ability of the springsto flex in various directions, the springs absorb a high percentage ofthis force. At least a portion of the housing 82 may be transparent toallow a consumer to view the shock-absorbing system.

Conventional attachment assemblies may also be modified in accordancewith this invention to provide a greater shock-absorbing mechanism forattaching a facemask 24 to a shell 22. For example, the leaf springattachment assembly in FIG. 13 appears to be a conventional leaf springassembly. However, the leaf spring 100 itself and/or the screw 102securing the leaf spring 100 to the shell 22 may include an elastomericmaterial to enhance the energy absorption of the attachment assembly 42.Suitable elastomeric materials are described above.

As an alternative preferred embodiment, the attachment assembly 42 mayinclude the housing 44 positioned on the facemask 24 and the rigidinsert 46 mounted to the shell 22, as shown in FIG. 14. FIG. 14 showstwo of a total of four attachment assemblies 42. In this preferredembodiment, the housing 44 and the insert 46 are substantially similarto the earlier described embodiments, other than the housing 44 ismounted to the facemask 24 rather than the shell 22 and the insert 46 ismounted to the shell 22. Other quantities of attachment assemblies arealso contemplated.

As yet another alternative preferred embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 15,the shock absorbing attachment assembly 42 may be wholly incorporatedwithin the facemask 24, such that the housing 44 is mounted to one ormore bars 38 of the facemask 24 and the rigid insert 46 is mounted toother bars 38 of the facemask 24. One or more attachment assemblies 42may be incorporated within the facemask 24, and may be mounted to one ormore bars 38. In this embodiment, the facemask 24 may be mounted to theshell 22 using either conventional attachment assemblies or any of theattachment assemblies 42 described herein. In each of the preferredembodiments of this invention, the attachment assembly 42 enables thefacemask 24 to absorb a high percentage of impact energy.

The shock-absorbing facemask 24 embodiments described herein greatlyreduce the amount of impact energy transferred from the facemask 24 tothe shell 22. This accomplishment is achieved through the structuraldesign of the attachment assemblies 42 and/or through the materials usedto form the attachment assemblies 42.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustratedand described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.For example, while the embodiments described herein are illustrated in acatcher's helmet, the principles of the present invention could also beused for practically any other helmet that includes a facemask.Accordingly, it will be intended to include all such alternatives,modifications and variations set forth within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

1. A shock-absorbing facemask attachment assembly for a sports helmet,comprising: a facemask; a housing attached to the helmet; an inserthaving a first end coupled to the facemask and a second end coupled tothe housing, wherein the insert is adapted to interact with the housingin response to a force applied to the first end to absorb and/ordissipate energy created by application of the force.
 2. The attachmentassembly of claim 1, wherein the second end of the insert is positionedwithin the housing, wherein at least a portion of the insert comprises arigid material, and wherein at least a portion of the insert comprisesan elastomer.
 3. The attachment assembly of claim 1, wherein the secondend of the insert is positioned within the housing, and wherein at leasta portion of the housing comprises an elastomer.
 4. The attachmentassembly of claim 1, further comprising a resilient cellular material,compressible fluid or gel positioned within the housing to engage thesecond end of the rigid insert.
 5. The attachment assembly of claim 1,comprising at least two of the housings, with at least one of thehousings attached to each side of the helmet along opposite edges of aface opening portion of the helmet.
 6. The attachment assembly of claim1, comprising at least four of the housings, with at least two of thehousings attached to each side of the helmet along opposite sides of aface opening in the helmet.
 7. The attachment assembly of claim 1,wherein the housing is attached to the helmet in a central region abovea face opening in the helmet.
 8. The attachment assembly of claim 1,wherein at least a portion of the housing is transparent, translucent,semi-transparent or semi-translucent.
 9. The attachment assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the helmet is selected from the group consisting of acatcher's mask, an umpire's mask, a lacrosse helmet, a football helmet,and a hockey helmet.
 10. A sports helmet, comprising: a shell; and ashock-absorbing facemask attachment assembly including: a facemask; ahousing attached to the shell; and a spring assembly having a first endcoupled to the facemask and a second end coupled to the housing, whereinthe spring assembly is adapted to be compressed further toward thehousing in response to a force applied to the first end.
 11. The helmetof claim 10, wherein the first end of the spring assembly is coupled tothe facemask with a first fastener and the second end of the spring iscoupled to the housing with a second fastener.
 12. The helmet of claim11, wherein the facemask attachment assembly further comprises acompressible intermediate member associated with the spring between thefirst and second fasteners.
 13. The helmet of claim 11, wherein at leastone of the first and second fasteners comprises a dampening element. 14.The helmet of claim 10, wherein the facemask attachment assemblycomprises at least two of the housings, with at least one of thehousings attached to each side of the helmet along opposite edges of aface opening portion of the helmet, and wherein at least two springs arecoupled to each housing and the facemask.
 15. The helmet of claim 14,wherein the at least two springs are substantially parallel to oneanother.
 16. The helmet of claim 10, wherein the facemask attachmentassembly comprises at least two of the housings, wherein at least one ofthe housings is attached to each side of the helmet along opposite edgesof a face opening portion of the helmet, and wherein at least threesprings coupled to each housing and the facemask.
 17. The helmet ofclaim 16, wherein the at least three springs are substantially parallelto one another.
 18. The helmet of claim 10, wherein the facemaskattachment assembly comprises a cover over the portion of the facemaskcoupled to the first end of the spring.
 19. The helmet of claim 18,wherein the facemask includes at least first and second bars, whereinthe first bar of the facemask is coupled to the first end of the spring,and the second bar of the facemask is coupled to the cover.
 20. Thehelmet of claim 10, wherein the facemask includes at least one bar,wherein the bar of the facemask is coupled to the first end of thespring, and wherein the bar is substantially perpendicular to thespring.
 21. A shock-absorbing facemask attachment assembly forattachment to a sports helmet, comprising: a facemask; and at least onespring assembly including a housing, a first spring having a first endcoupled to the helmet and a second end coupled to the housing, and asecond spring having a first end coupled to a facemask and a second endcoupled to the housing.
 22. The attachment assembly of claim 21, whereinthe at least one spring assembly is at least two spring assemblies withone of the spring assemblies attached to each side of the helmet alongopposite edges of a face opening portion of the helmet.
 23. Theattachment assembly of claim 21, further comprising a third springhaving a first end coupled to the facemask and a second end coupled tothe housing.
 24. The attachment assembly of claim 21, wherein the firstend of the first spring is coupled to the helmet with a first fastener,the second end of the first spring is coupled to the housing with asecond fastener, the first end of the second spring is coupled to thefacemask with a third fastener, and the second end of the second springis coupled to the housing with a fourth fastener.
 25. The attachmentassembly of claim 21, wherein the first and second springs are eachsubstantially perpendicular to the helmet.
 26. The attachment assemblyof claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the housing is transparent,translucent, semi-transparent or semi-translucent.
 27. A shock-absorbingfacemask attachment assembly for a sports helmet, comprising: a housingattached to a facemask; an insert having a first end coupled to thehelmet and a second end disposed in the housing, wherein the insert isadapted to interact with the housing in response to a force applied tothe first end to absorb and/or dissipate energy created by applicationof the force.
 28. A sports helmet, comprising: a shell; a facemaskassembly attached to the shell, the facemask assembly including; a firstprotective portion mounted to the shell; at least one housing mounted tothe first protective portion; a second protective portion; and at leastone insert having a first end coupled to second protective portion and asecond end coupled to the housing, wherein the insert is adapted tointeract with the housing in response to a force applied to the secondprotective portion of the facemask to absorb and/or dissipate energycreated by application of the force.
 30. The helmet of claim 29, whereinthe first and second protective portions each include at least one bar.31. The helmet of claim 30, wherein the at least one of the housings ismounted to the bar of the first protective portion.